The Government has moved to increase the number of judges on the Court of Appeal.

Seven nominations were agreed at Cabinet this week.

Six of these are to be appointed by President Michael D Higgins shortly.

The nominees agreed were: Ms Justice Mary Faherty, Ms Justice Una Ní Raifeartaigh, Mr Justice Seamus Noonan, Mr Justice Robert Haughton, Mr Brian Murray SC and Ms Justice Ann Power.

Ms Justice Faherty was called to the Bar in 1986, appointed to the Circuit Court in 2002 and the High Court in 2014.

She was also appointed Judge of the United Nations Appeals Tribunal (UNAT) in 2011, serving as president of UNAT from 2012 to 2014.

Ms Justice Ní Raifeartaigh was called to the Bar in 1993 and appointed to the High Court 2016.

She is also a former Reid Professor of Criminal Law at Trinity College Dublin.

Mr Justice Haughton was called to the Bar in 1979 and appointed to the High Court in 2014.

Mr Murray, SC was called to the Bar in 1989 and is also an A&L Goodbody lecturer in company law at Trinity College Dublin - as well as a lecturer in the King's Inns.

Mr Justice Seamus Noonan seen at Áras an Uachtaráin in 2014 | Image: Mark Stedman/RollingNews.ie

Mr Justice Noonan was called to the Bar in 1977 and was appointed to the High Court back in 2014.

Mr Collins, SC was called to the Bar in 1989 and is former chair of the Incorporated Council for Law Reporting.

And Ms Justice Power was called to the Bar in 1993 and served as a judge in the European Court of Human Rights from 2008 to 2014.

She is also a presiding judge of the Constitutional Court Chamber, Kosovo Specialist Chambers of the (EU Internationalised Tribunal) since 2017.

Ms Justice Power is also an adjunct professor at Dublin City University.

Meanwhile Maurice Collins, SC is to be nominated for appointment to the Court of Appeal when Mr Justice Michael Peart retires later this month.

The nominations were made under the Courts Act 2019.

In accordance with articles 13.9 and 35.1 of the Constitution, judicial appointments are made by the president acting on the advice of the Government.

The Government says it has taken the necessary steps to formally advise President Higgins of the nominations.

Main image: Una Ni Raifeartaigh arriving at the Circuit Criminal Court in Dublin in 2014 | Image: Sam Boal/RollingNews.ie